


New Beginnings

by Bellathepotato



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Action & Romance, Asian Character(s), Cybernetics, Denial, F/M, Feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:35:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24136702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bellathepotato/pseuds/Bellathepotato
Summary: The galaxy has been at peace for 5 years. New peoples and planets have joined the Republic as peace settles. However, after the princess of Chang-Han and daughter of the new chancellor is poisoned, chaos erupts. With the help of Ahsoka, Rex, Cody, Kix and the princess, the Republic soon finds out what's been looming in the shadows these past few years.
Relationships: Ahsoka Tano & Original Female Character(s), Anakin Skywalker & Original Female Character(s), CC-2224 | Cody/Original Female Character(s), CT-6116 | Kix/Original Character(s), CT-7567 | Rex & Original Female Character(s), CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano, Kit Fisto/Aayla Secura, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze, Padmé Amidala & Original Female Character(s), Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 9
Kudos: 13





	1. A Poisoned Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The galaxy, now at peace, is full of wonderful relations. One faithful and important dinner, nothing seems out of the ordinary. That is, until one sip causes Dan-I Yi, the princess of Chang-Han and daughter of the chancellor, to fall ill.

The dining hall of Han Castle was filled with laughter. The beautiful spring day’s faint breeze and soft sunlight had given away to the blue glow of Chang-Han’s tenth moon, Xia-Lein, and the black of space, dotted with stars.

Seated at the table were all the major senators of the Republic: from senator Padmé Amidala to Bail Organa, to Mon Mothma. Of course, the Chancellor was there as well: Chancellor Adrin Yi of Chang-Han.

Chancellor Yi had taken the place of the corrupted Chancellor Palpatine, a few weeks after the Chancellor’s ulterior motives were exposed. When the clone trooper, Fives, had first mentioned the possibilities of chips and corruption of the clones’ minds, there had been a need to investigate the chip in a secretive manner. The planet Chang-Han had suddenly stepped into the light and offered to do research on the chip. Once the chip had been discovered as a potential weapon of control, they were removed from the clones. They were sent in large groups to Chang-Han’s labs and got them removed by the scientists there, who specialize in technology and cybernetics, making the ordeal right up their alley. 

Once the senate found the former chancellor panic-stricken by this discovery, demanding that clones be implanted with another chip, suspicions grew and speculations flew. Soon, the Chancellor’s operations were exposed, leaving him to be executed by orders of the senate and Jedi Council. After the ordeal, the queen of Chang-Han, Adrin Yi, was appointed due to her major leadership role in the investigation of the clone chips and overall anatomy of the clones. 

Once she was appointed, peace came back to the galaxy, and separatist activity dissipated. The new chancellor helped to establish peaceful relations amongst the senate and the galaxy soon turned to more peaceful times. Clones were given the choice to continue in the GAR or were offered to start their own lives elsewhere, Chang-Han’s habitable moon Kwang-Xia being an option offered by the new chancellor. 

The Jedi, now faced with the achievement of their goal, were allowed to slowly relax their positions, restrictions now loosened. Jedi now formed attachments and carried out their lives much more normally. Namely, the chosen one, Anakin Skywalker, was able to reveal his relationship with Senator Amidala along with the birth of his children, Luke and Leia Skywalker. Other Jedi allowed themselves attachments as well, such as Obi-Wan and Duchess Satine, Kit Fisto and Aayla Secura, and Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex of the 501st. 

At the dinner at Han Castle, the newfound peace brought along good news and reparations. It had been five years since the end of the war, and the galaxy was almost back to normal. The chancellor had called the gathering, as she did every moon cycle, to make sure her friends were well. This time, the premise of the meeting was different.

“I thank you all sincerely for coming,” Chancellor Yi started. “I do enjoy these peaceful gatherings we have, now not bound by rules or restrictions”. She looked over to where Senator Amidala sat with her husband, Anakin Skywalker, and gazed at the other clone and guard forces around the room.

“I have an announcement to make now. It has been five years since the war has been over, so I believe the threat is over.” she smiled “ I’d like to reveal that I have appointed my daughter, Dan-I Yi, as senator of Chang-Han and it’s major moon, Kwang-Xia. She will be the clones’, and to some extent, the Republic’s, voice in the Chang-Hanian government and the senate.” applause ensued, as the beautiful and confident 22-year-old princess stood up from her seat beside Chancellor Yi, and bowed politely. 

The princess had soon risen to fame after peace was declared in the galaxy due to her beauty and signature demeanour. She was known to be emotionless, almost never changing her passive expression. She had pale skin and long charcoal hair, as well as a very slim but strong build, making her one of the most admired people in the galaxy. Just like all other Chang-Hanians, the perfectionist appearance of hers was partly genetics and partly lab tests done when she was an infant. One of her most liked features was her eyes: they were a smokey grey but had a glow that made people fall for her at first sight. 

“Thank you, my friends.” the chancellor said in response to the applause.  
“So Chancellor, does this mean we will be seeing more of the princess in the senate and at the Jedi Temple?” Senator Amidala inquired.  
“Yes, you will be. Dan-I will travel often…”. 

The conversation continued on with many questions from the fellow senators, but Dan barely listened. She felt almost vulnerable in this position. A couple of weeks prior to this gathering her mother had told her of these plans, but Dan felt she didn’t deserve the title. What many did not know was that although all Chang-hanians had small cybernetic elements embedded in them or were genetically modified, Dan was the victim to both and many more experiments. These ‘experiments’ unfortunately had several consequences.

The most prominent consequence of all was Dan’s emotions; she was known to be emotionless, but that wasn’t because she wanted to be. No, it was all these experiments, which suppressed her mind so much that she could barely feel any emotions. These experiments had also weakened her body and mind, so her mother had decided to have a cybernetic system embedded in her, like a second nervous system, for stability. If she felt strong emotional pulls, it would cause her system to reboot or crash on her. Because of this, Dan felt almost hollow, like she wasn’t even truly human, even though she was still 81.6% human.

“So, Princess Dan-I, we look forward to your more frequent visits to Coruscant for meetings about Republic matters, since you now hold an important Republic position,” Senator Amidala said with a smile, making Dan’s internal system alert her and remind her of the conversation around her.

“Thank you, Senator Amidala. I look forward to seeing you and your family more often, as well as all my other Republic friends and colleagues,” she said, any hint of her distracted self not visible. Clouded with doubt that couldn’t leave her system, Dan felt herself slipping and her vision blurring, a headache taking over. 

Not again, she thought. A warning blink in the corner of her eye, telling her to tone down her mental state. In an attempt to distract herself and stop her system from rebooting, she picked up her glass and was about to drink from it, when another more faint warning appeared in her system, indicating something was wrong with the drink. Confused, she looked at the drink attentively, trying to get her system to read the exact contents, until Senator Organa spoke up.

“Your highness, is everything okay?” he asked Dan, catching her off guard, his eyes full of curiosity mixed with concern.  
“Ah, yes senator Organa. Everything is fine, thank you” she said, feeling her mother’s concerned eyes on her. Her mother wanted to make sure no one knew about her cybernetic system, but also worried for her daughter’s health, as fragile as it was.

Dan ignored the warning and drank, thinking of it as just a system malfunction. Suddenly, a wave of nausea swept over her, and she felt like she was choking. The glass fell from her hand, shattering at her feet. Her throat tight, she grasped her neck in an attempt to soothe the rising pain. Suddenly, she felt herself coughing heavily, her lungs heaving and becoming constricted. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth as blood spilled into her hands. Faint voices echoed around her. She heard her mother yell for medical attention and Senator Amidala got up from her seat beside Dan and grabbed her to prevent her from collapsing to the floor. Her husband jumped up and immediately went to talk with the clones he’d brought as guards.

Dan-I’s vision slowly blurred and she felt the floor move closer to her as senator Amidala tried to hold on to her tightly. Then there was nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uwu I hope you guys enjoyed this story :) I've been playing around with ideas and just like integrating little parts of different media together. I'll *attempt* to deliver this story well. Stay tuned and keep writing! -Ella
> 
> P.s: I used a lot of Asian names mainly b/c I watch waayy too many dramas xD please bear with me on names my Asian side is coming out ;)


	2. Reactions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Padmé enjoys the dinner at the Chancellor's castle until she sees the cherished daughter of the chancellor start to choke.

Padmé suddenly turned her head to see princess Dan-I’s face go white, as she grasped her throat, as if she was suffocating, her glass falling to the floor. Padmé gasped alongside the other senators, as everyone jumped up with concern. Padmé grabbed Dan’s arm with her left hand and wrapped her right arm around Dan’s back, trying to keep her from falling. Soon, Dan started to cough blood, Padmé trying her best to soothe her by rubbing her back.

“Someone call the medics and tech lab scientists! Get them here! NOW!” Yelled Dan’s mother, Chancellor Yi. She ran around the room getting the guards to fetch help. The other senators started to form into groups and contact their own forces as they watched Dan, trying not to crowd the princess. Anakin quickly jumped from his seat as well, concerned.

Anakin and Padmé were quite close to the Chancellor’s daughter. They had become close to the chancellor, mainly to make sure she also wasn’t hiding any motives. During this time, they found themselves greeting the princess and talking with her often around the castle. She had also become friends with Ahsoka after Anakin brought her along. Now that Dan was in danger, they had both jumped to help. Anakin now walked to his own clone troopers he’d brought, Fives and Jesse, and told them to contact the Republic and get Captain Rex and Ahsoka to come to Chang-Han.

Dan started to slip from Padmé’s hands, finally passing out. Padmé quickly changed her grasp on the princess and helped lay her down to the floor.

“Hang in there, Dan. Just a little longer.” She whispered. Medical forces then arrived, carrying her away. The Chancellor excused herself and quickly ran to contact other members of the Chang-Hanian government. Padmé looked to Anakin, worried.

“She’ll be alright, Padmé. She’s strong. I’ve contacted the Republic to get people down here for investigations. Obi-Wan and his troops are coming, as well as Ahsoka and Rex.” Anakin told her. He sighed. “I wonder what caused her to collapse like that”. Anakin walked over to where Dan was sitting and kneeled to look at the liquid the shattered glass was dipped in on the floor. He sniffed it.

“There’s nothing wrong with the smell,” he said. “Where’s this drink from?”

“I think the Chancellor said she had some imported from Kamino as a gift from the Kaminoians” Padmé said. “But why would they taint her drink? And how did they know only Dan would drink from it? And what about the fact that-”

“Listen, Padmé.” Anakin interrupted. “She’s got a bit of a target on her back. She’s the Chancellor’s daughter after all, and she’s got quite the reputation,” he said, motioning to his body as if it were Dan’s. Padmé understood what he meant: she was well-known as the most beautiful girl in the Republic and in some parts of the galaxy, which had caused quite a few stirs among people at the Temple and Senate.

“You’re right. Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait till the others get here to investigate” she said, taking on an Obi-Wan-like position, a hand on her chin, the other resting across her body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's pretty short, but I needed to divide up the story into different perspectives. This one just happened to be shorter than the others, but I hope it gives a bit more perspective. Stay tuned and keep writing! -Ella


	3. Reactions II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word of Princess Dan-I's poisoning is reported to the Republic. Dan-I's closest friends at the Republic rush to Chang-Han, where they find her resting. Questions fly about the entire situation, precautions starting to be taken.

Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Rex, and Cody all stood on the bridge of Obi-Wan’s ship, The Negotiator II, watching as the warm greens, blues, and whites of Chang-Han’s surface came into view. 

“Sir, we have arrived at Chang-Han” an officer reported to the Jedi Master.

“Very good. We will be taking a transport to the surface” Obi-Wan responded, leading the little group off the bridge and towards the hangers. Ahsoka quickly caught up to the pace of her former Jedi Master. 

“Master Obi-Wan, what did Anakin say happened?” she asked, still in shock from the announcement.

“Princess Dan-I was poisoned and has fallen into a critical state. Anakin wanted to bring you here to comfort your friend. The Republic must also discuss safety procedures that may need to be issued for the princess and Chancellor.” Obi-Wan said, trying to keep his emotions in check as well. 

The group then reached the transport sitting in the hangar. A small group of troops were starting the transport and loading some cargo for their potentially long stay on the planet.

Ahsoka was startled by the entire situation. When she had first received the news, she couldn’t believe it. The galaxy had been peaceful without much disagreement or threats for five years. Even the Jedi Order had relaxed due to no foreseen threats. Now that this had taken place, Ahsoka didn’t know what to think. Why would there be a poisoning? And why Princess Dan-I, of all people?. After getting over the initial shock of the message, Ahsoka then worried for her friend’s health. Although Dan was presumably strong, since she showed no disturbance from pretty much anything and was genetically modified like all Chang-Hanians, she was still human after all. 

While Ahsoka thought hard about the situation, Rex sat beside her on the transport, wondering what was going through that thoughtful mind of hers. The mind that came up with the most brilliant ideas and strategies, while also showing him so many different aspects of the world he never thought of.

“Ahsoka, are you alright?” Rex asked her, nudging her shoulder lightly. She immediately came back to her senses and looked at him.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Just worried about Dan. Who could’ve done something like this, anyway? There haven't been any threats for years, why all of a sudden poison a princess?” She thought out loud.

Rex thought about the situation, too. He and Ahsoka had been sparring on Coruscant when the message came through from Anakin to Obi-Wan, who immediately fetched them. Before they knew it, they were swept onto his ship and brought to the lively planet, with its moon of clone homes orbiting it. During the trip, Rex had noticed Cody was also a little off. He presumed it was due to the abruptness of the attack, but couldn’t quite shake the feeling there was something more.

The transport soon landed on the landing platform cantilevered over the cliff the grand Han Castle rested on, and they're waiting on the platform was Anakin and Padmé. 

“Hey, you guys finally made it” Anakin greeted them. “Let’s go see the princess first, and then Obi-Wan can come with me to see the Chancellor after.” 

Ahsoka nodded, barely able to stop herself from running ahead to see Dan. The group then followed Padmé, who wore a somewhat solemn face, into the castle looming above them.  
Padmé led them up the quartz steps and down the hallway to a room with two large wooden doors. She pushed the doors open to reveal the tech and medical lab of the castle. They soon spotted the princess, lying still on a white medical bed. Doctors and lab workers ran around the lab, checking her vitals and finding drugs to inject into her system to stabilize her. 

As they approached, Ahsoka could see just how pale Dan had gotten, although her skin was slightly damp with sweat. Ahsoka kneeled next to Dan’s bed and held her hand. She could feel the Force flowing through Dan, although it was quite weak, She sighed, as Rex put a hand on her shoulder for comfort.

“How did this happen?” Obi-Wan asked his hand at his chin, thinking hard.

“She was drinking a Kaminoian drink at dinner yesterday, but suddenly collapsed after taking a few sips,” Padmé said. “She seemed to be...choking, and then fell into this comatose state.” She gestured to Dan’s unmoving state, air slowly flowing into her lungs, her chest rising and falling at a concerningly slow rate.

“Can we identify the drink?” Obi-Wan inquired as he walked closer to Dan to get a good look at the effects. “She seems to be now just sick, most likely from the interior wounds she may have suffered from the poison. But it seems the poison has been mostly swept from her system”

“There didn’t seem to be anything odd about the drink,” Anakin relayed. “But while we investigate, we need people to be guarding the princess in case another attempt on her life is made.” 

“I can lend Cody to watch her, but I assume Ahsoka and Rex wish to stay by her side as well?” Obi-Wan said.

“Yes, Master. I will stay with Dan for now with Rex and Cody” Ahsoka replied. 

“I’ll also get Kix from the 501st for the first little while until she’s healed,” Anakin said.

“Then it’s settled.” Obi-wan huffed. “Let’s go see the Chancellor then, Anakin” The two then left the room. Padmé watched them, then sighed.

“I should talk to the other senators as well, and see how they have reacted to the situation, and what their standpoints are,” Padmé told the trio. “You three keep an eye on Dan. The doctors think that she’ll recover quickly due to her strong immune system. Let us know when she’s awake.” Padmé gave the group a final wave, then left as well.

The group then watched over Dan for the next few hours. Kix has come up from the transport and stood beside Cody, who stood by the foot of her bed, examining her. Cody had never seen the princess in real life, so seeing her now was new to him. He didn’t expect to see her like this either. Although physically she matched every picture and description, he knew there was something different about her in real life about her personality and aura. 

Cody quickly stopped his wonderings about the princess and decided to see for himself her true personality when she awoke. He then turned to watch Ahsoka and Rex. He couldn’t be happier that his brother had found someone, especially someone like Commander Tano, who balanced him well. The two had finally been able to get their somewhat-happy ending when the war came to a close. However, now came the insecurities of a new arising problem, starting with the poisoning of someone so close to them.

Suddenly, the beeping monitor hooked up to Dan-I beeped faster, bringing the group out of their deep thoughts. Suddenly, Dan took a deep breath, her eyes fluttering open, slowly adjusting to the bright environment around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally going to be a lot shorter, but the last chapter was too short. So yay longer chapter :D Stay tuned and keep writing! -Ella


	4. Awoken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan wakes up to Ahsoka, Rex and a couple of unknown people. She quickly gains back her strength and learns what has happened since she awoke.

Ahsoka jumped up, making the rest of the group look to the princess with anticipation.  
“Dan-I? Can you hear me?” Ahsoka asked eagerly.

In response, the princess shifted her smokey grey eyes to Ahsoka, an icy-blue glow flickering across them. She blinked pointedly at Ahsoka, registering her. She gave a slight nod in response to Ahsoka.

“Thank goodness you’re alright!” Ahsoka exclaimed. “Can you speak? Move your body?”

“…I just woke up, ‘Soka. I’m not that strong…” Dan muttered weakly. She slowly lifted up her arm to pull the breathing mask off of her face, discarding it at her side. Ahsoka sighed with relief, sinking back to her seat.

“...What happened?” she asked, strength returning to her voice. Dan’s head spun rapidly, making one of her hands fly to her head in an attempt to stop the spinning.

“You were poisoned” Rex spoke up. “Luckily medical services were able to stop the poison from becoming too fatal.”  
Dan closed her eyes, trying to comprehend what had been said to her while stopping the spinning. What’s with this headache? She thought. She took a deep breath before reopening her eyes. 

“I see. How long have I been here?” she asked, trying to decipher her surroundings; the Xia-Werna shone brightly from the windows, but the white sun itself wasn’t visible. Must be around noon, she thought. But of which day?

“You’ve been like this for a couple of days. We just arrived this morning to see you.” Ahsoka gestured to the others around Dan’s bed. Dan then registered their presences properly, recording their faces and identities in her internal system. She brought up their profiles on her internal computer:

C T - 2 2 2 4: ‘Cody’  
Clone trooper officer  
Military rank of Clone Marshal Commander in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars.  
Served as commanding officer of the 7th Sky Corps and led sub-unit 212th Battalion.  
Was the second-in-command of Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi.

C T - 6 1 1 6: ‘Kix’  
Clone Medic in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars.  
Medic and soldier of the 501st Battalion.  
Currently under the command of Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano.

What are they doing here? She wondered. Kix may be here to accompany Ahsoka and her battalion, but why is Cody here? I don’t recall Master Kenobi being present during the dinner. 

Dan thought quietly, her face remaining blank as she ran her internal programs checking her body. There were a few problems that popped up, but she swept them away for later. She soon snapped out of it and looked at the two clone troops once more.

“Hello. I am the princess and senator of Chang-Han, Dan-I Yi.” She nodded politely to them.

They both bowed and introduced themselves.  
“I am CT-2224, Commander Cody of the GAR, Your Highness. I have been assigned to accompany you as your temporary guard due to the new threats arising from this incident.” Cody said. He felt a strange fluttering in his chest as he spoke, the watchful eye of the princess making him wish he was wearing his helmet.  
“And I am CT-6116, also known as Kix. I am a medic for the 501st battalion, and have also been assigned to accompany you in case you require medical attention while recovering.”

Dan acknowledged them with another nod, then turned to Ahsoka. “Can you fetch the doctor? Preferably Doctor Yaning.”

“Sure thing.” Ahsoka then left to fetch him. Dan took a deep breath as she tried to sit up. Kix immediately rushed to her side to help her up.

“With all due respect, Your Highness, but you shouldn’t stress your body too much while it’s recovering,” Kix stated softly, adjusting the bedding to accommodate Dan.

“Don’t worry, Kix. I know the limits of my body,” she said, demonstrating her strength as she straightened her back out of habit, ignoring the aches forming. “ You may also drop formalities when there are no other people around. We’ll be interacting often, so they will become irritating after too much use” 

“Alright, Your High- er, Dan-I,” Kix said with slight discomfort.

“Dan is fine” she stated, her gaze once again becoming blank as she stared down at her hands and the tubes attached to them. 

“Yes, Your Hi-. Dan.”

Ahsoka then came back with Doctor Yaning. He was a middle-aged man, with slightly tanned skinned and wavy short black hair. He pushed up his glasses and looked up from his datapad to observe Dan. 

“Princess, I see you’re already quite strong,” he said, gesturing to her straight back and now alert eyes. He quickly typed something onto his datapad before walking by Kix to check Dan’s physical state. He lifted her arm, checking it over. Kix, who stood quite close to the doctor, noticed he was checking over a particular spot on her wrist, which looked slightly paler in comparison to the rest of her arm. He found it odd since there were no vital parts there in normal human anatomy. The doctor quickly moved on, and Kix gave up the thought.

“You seem to be alright now. As soon as you awoke, your body’s been quickly rebuilding itself and returning its strength.” He sighed, inputting a few more notes into his datapad, before removing the tubes embedded in her hand and neck. 

“You may leave the lab, but make sure to take it easy. No practice or anything that can cause extreme stress on your, erm, system.” he said, emphasizing ‘system’. He could sense the unease at his words and added hastily “Just make sure your body is able to recover adequately. Make sure you have people to support you when you move around for long periods of time. Come back every other day so we can make sure you’re fully healed before going home to Kwang-Xia or the Senate on Coruscant” He then bowed and left the group. 

Dan then swung her legs off the bed and stood carefully, readjusting her dress: an off-white dress with a fitted round-necked and long-sleeved top, with a loose skirt that brushed her ankles. The fit of the dress showed off Dan’s tiny waist, which had only decreased since the incident.

“I’m going to see my mother, then. I have to alert her of my condition and stop the other senators from worrying as well” She turned to face the clones and Ahsoka. “I assume you two will be coming with me?” She asked Cody and Kix. They both nodded in response.

“We will come as well,” Ahsoka said, gesturing to herself and Rex. “My Master should be there as well, so I can talk with him and Master Obi-Wan as well” 

Ahsoka then went to stand beside Dan. “Let’s go, then, before my mother does something rash in retaliation,” Dan said, leading the group off to the throne room, Ahsoka by her side for support, and the rest of the group trailing behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dan's alive !! (not like she would've died this early tho). 
> 
> If you guys were wondering, she recovered super quick b/c of her cybernetics. But there will be complications about that later ;)
> 
> Stay tuned and keep writing! -Ella


	5. A Flawed Relief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Dan wakes up, there are many things going on. Her family is happy to see her awake, but in their voices lie deeper worries that Cody can't quite figure out. He starts to wonder what the princess is truly like on the inside; what is she hiding?

Cody watched carefully as Dan walked down the hall in front of him with Ahsoka’s arm wrapped around hers. He observed Dan now in fuller detail: Her skin was pale like moonlight, flawless and smooth like glass. Charcoal hair fell straight down like a curtain to her thin waist, which Cody remembered was greatly talked about back on Coruscant. 

He thought back to right after the war ended. Times had changed, and people soon found entertainment in politics and popular figures. Those in the Republic, mainly the clones and Jedi, had started to grow interested in these political figures, realizing how fascinating their roles, lives, and homes could be.

Princess Dan-I had grown in popularity rapidly in the Republic, still a very popular figure. After she was thrust into the spotlight by her mother and her work with clone configuration, many talked about her; from her smarts to her power, personality, and most prominently, her looks.

She was, after all, the first prominent humanoid figure in the Republic that was similar in age to the clones and many of the padawans, which sparked interest over the common ground of age. She also lived on Kwang-Xia, the moon offered to the clones as a place to live. There were only a few cities on the moon, so the clones could choose that or the open and rich outer fields.

Cody remembered the crowded barracks at night, where he could hear a discussion about the princess upon the return of his comrades from her planet for their chip removal and configuration fixes (such as stopping rapid ageing). Many that saw her talked about how she radiated power, and how at first glance she was everything one could want.

“It’s a shame she’s so emotionless”. A phrase Cody heard repeated at the end of every praise for Dan. He felt a strange sense of sympathy for the young princess, who had accomplished so much but still fell short in several opinions.

He brushed off these memories quickly, focusing back to the present. Taking another look at the princess, he wondered what had caused her to show so little emotion. She was still polite and relaxed, there was a bit of hollowness in her words that made Cody almost curious with sympathy.

What happened to her? He thought, watching her walk with assurance and elegance.

Rex interrupted him from his thoughts that had started to stir. 

“Hey vod, you feeling okay?” he whispered, nudging his shoulder. Cody immediately straightened his back into a more professional position. 

“Fine, Rex. Just thinking” he said, his eyes still resting on the princess, who had pulled the top section of her hair into a small bun using a small hair ribbon on her wrist. Rex followed his line of sight.

“Admiring the princess?” he smirked, making Cody feel a small burn in his cheeks.

“I am her guard, captain. I have to keep an eye on her to make sure she’s safe” he grumbled, making Rex stifle his quiet laughter.

“Whatever you say, Commander. Let’s just hope she appreciates your watchful eye” the two silently continued to give each other looks, until Kix nudged them to stop. They had arrived at the throne room, its large wooden doors looming in front of them. He turned to look at Dan, who still held a neutral face, but he could see hints of anxiety dancing across her eyes.

She let go of Ahsoka and went to the doors. She took a deep breath and opened the doors to reveal the large room.

The throne room was huge, with ceilings four times as tall as the barracks Cody was accustomed to. Chandeliers decorated the intricately designed stone ceilings, and large windows let the midday light shine through. Pillars with fire on the sides of the main throne cast shadows against the dark walls. 

There were three thrones; the main and left ones occupied, while the last one sat empty on the right. The right throne was fairly large, made out of white stone and silk. A man with a worried look sat upon the throne, engaged in conversation with the others in the room. He had white hair and weathered tanned skin. His robes were white with dark grey trim and large sleeves. A dark grey belt cinched the crossed body of the outfit and secured the loose dark grey skirt. 

The main throne, however, was even bigger, but shared the same materials as the other thrones of white stone and silk, with a set of steps leading up to it. On it sat a stern woman that shared a few features that Cody had seen in Dan: pale skin, high cheekbones softened with slightly filled cheeks. She also had a sharp jawline and smokey grey eyes. However, her hair had more hints of silver in it than Dan’s, her body not as stripped of weight as Dan. There were also suggestions of wrinkles around her features, her skin more uneven with wear,

The man first looked to them, his eyes lighting up at Dan’s appearance.

“My dear Dan-a!” he exclaimed. Cody recognized his thick Chang-Hanian accent as he walked swiftly towards them. “My poor girl! Why are you here? My, my, you got too thin. Are you hungry? I brought some golden Mengs from Wagan-Ziu. Here, here, I’ll get them now!” the man then gestured to a servant, who immediately bowed and walked past Cody and the others out to the hall, disappearing into one of the many rooms.

Dan gently held the man’s hands, stroking them, her face still neutral, but the corners of her lips slightly curved. He noticed now that the conversation had died down amongst the others in the room, eyes now being redirected to Dan and the man.

“Grandfather Ziu, don’t worry. I’m feeling better. I’m not hungry right now, but I’ll eat the mengs you brought later. Thank you,” Dan said softly. She then gave a partially stiff bow to the man and turned to Cody and the others.

“This is Prince Gung Ziu of Wagan-Ziu, a settlement just south of Qilai, where we are. He is my grandfather. Grandfather, these are my friends, Commander Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex of the GAR, and my guards, Commander Cody and Private Kix.” the old man gave them a kind smile and nodded to them. They bowed at their introduction. 

Dan then turned back to the man. “Grandfather, let me speak with my mother for now. I will talk with you later.” She then walked towards the large throne where the stern woman sat. Cody followed with the others behind her, noticing around the throne were a few nobles. They relaxed and sighed with relief.

“Dan-a, you’re awake. And walking around, I see. How are you feeling?” the woman stood up and walked down the stairs to Dan. Cody noticed she was quite tall, her silky white robes barely sweeping the floor. 

She extended her arms to grab Dan’s shoulders. She turned Dan, examining her. She then looked at her eyes carefully, before dusting off Dan and letting her go.

“You seem to be okay. Make sure you rest. Stay in your chambers for the next week. You can only go to the library or observatory for your studies and the indoor gardens all on the third floor. But nothing else. Meals will be brought up, and visitors will go up to see you if needed.” She looked over Dan’s shoulder at Cody, then Kix, Ahsoka, and Rex. “And make sure your guards stay with you. I understand Commander Tano and Captain Rex will need to depart by the end of the day with Master Skywalker and Senator Amidala, but that isn’t an excuse for you to stray from the third floor.” 

She then walked back up to her throne, dismissing the nobles, who bowed to her and Dan before leaving. She adjusted the crystal wreath that sat on her head, looking down at Dan.

“You may go now, Dan-a. Make sure to rest, and don’t study too much. I’ll talk with Doctor Yaning later about your condition” 

Dan then gave a stiff bow, the others following suit, then turned and walked out of the throne room. As they closed the doors, Cody felt the burning eyes of the queen boring into Dan’s back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We gotta love a cute and caring grandpa like grandpa Ziu ;) I used this chapter as an opportunity to kinda describe Dan in more detail b/c I felt like she needed a bit more description to be able to be visualized better.
> 
> side note: Dan is called Dan-a by her family as a nickname (kinda like they're drawing out the pronunciation)
> 
> anyways hope you enjoyed the chapter! (wow I managed to write and post 2 today :0) 
> 
> Stay tuned and keep writing! -Ella


	6. Hidden Secrets and Mixed Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka and Rex rush off when the council calls for their presence, leaving Ahsoka to wonder about the odd Force signature she had started to pick up on around Dan. Anakin senses her doubt and inquisitive thoughts.

Dan stopped outside the throne room once the doors closed. She turned to Ahsoka and Rex.

“Is there something happening for you to leave so quickly?” Dan asked.

“My Master believes that there might be more to this incident. He, Master Obi-Wan, and Senator Amidala spoke to your mother a little while ago, but they’re already back at the Negotiator II. There’s a transport waiting for Rex and me, as well as some other troops who are trying to get more information on this.” Ahsoka explained. Suddenly, her comm beeped. 

“Commander. We have finished our investigations. More information will have to come from the senators and labs when we reach Coruscant. The generals await your return with the captain.”

Ahsoka sighed, exchanging a look with Rex. “Got it, trooper. We’ll head over now then.” Rex and she both bowed to Dan.

“Sorry, Dan. that’s our call. But we’ll leave you in the faithful hands of Kix and Cody.” She smiled.

“Don’t worry too much, I can vouch for them. They will surely be willing to keep an eye. Right, Cody?” he smirked. 

Cody gave Rex a look, while Kix stifled laughter, having heard their conversation earlier. Ahsoka shook her head, a smile forming.

“Very well, I trust your judgement,” Dan said, unmoved by the comment. Ahsoka embraced her, and Rex gave her an affirming nod. The two then walked away down the hall, intertwining their hands slowly as they got further.

The pair walked through the grand foyer, before taking a turn out the landing pad doors and towards the small transport waiting for them.

Ahsoka spoke up. “I’m worried for Dan,” she sighed.

“She’s got Cody and Kix, she should be safe and well taken care of.” Rex soothed. “Besides, I think Cody’s suddenly gotten his mind out from under a rock and realized what the buzz is around her” he laughed, making Ahsoka grin. “And we both know Kix, he cares a lot about the people around him. I have a feeling he’ll even make her crack a smile” 

Ahsoka thought about Rex’s comments. She knew they were true, but what caught her was his last sentence: “I have a feeling he’ll even make her crack a smile”. She knew Rex was trying to make her feel better, but deep down Ahsoka knew there was something that made Dan the way she was. 

Ahsoka had sensed it every time she was around Dan - something almost hollow inside her as if she wasn’t completely there. She usually ignored it, but now started to think more about it. 

What is going on inside? Ahsoka thought. I may be her closest friend, but there’s still something that I don’t completely comprehend about her. 

Her thoughts were interrupted when Rex squeezed her hand and let go as they arrived at the transport. He walked ahead of her, giving her a quick reassuring smile, before ordering the men to start up the transport for departure.

Once they boarded the transport and flew the short trip up to the Negotiator II, they were met by Anakin and Obi-Wan in the hangar.

“Hey, Snips. How’s the princess doing?” Anakin greeted.

“She woke up a few hours after we arrived, and gained most of her strength back in a span of half an hour after waking up. She was ordered by her mother and Doctor Yaning to rest.” Ahsoka reported.

“And Cody and Kix are on good terms with the princess?” Obi-Wan inquired.

“Yup. she seemed to be okay with them. She’s pretty neutral about the entire thing, so I can’t tell if there are any hidden feelings” Ahsoka explained.

“I think Cody and Kix will be fine with her. They seem to have already taken a liking to her.” Rex said, trying not to show any emotion.

“Very well,” Obi-Wan said. “Let’s go up to the bridge. We’ll need to report this to the council, and then make our way back to Coruscant to do a bit of research.” 

The group started walking up to the bridge, Ahsoka starting to trail behind. Anakin slowed down to talk to her, assuring Rex he would handle her.

“Did something happen on Chang-Han?” Anakin asked.

“Not really. We’re coming back to Chang-Han soon, right? We have to continue investigations here anyways since princess Dan-I can’t leave Chang-Han for the next couple weeks, and then won’t be able to leave her house when she gets back to Kwang-Xia.” Ahsoka asked hastily, deep in thought.

“Well, yeah, we will be coming back to continue investigations and talk with the chancellor,” Anakin responded. “Is there something on Chang-Han that you need to see?”  
“Well, first of all, she doesn’t seem to be as healthy as she pretends to be. I noticed she’s become very small recently, and every time I visit Dan-I I notice there’s something off about her force signature. Except for this time, it’s even more off.” Ahsoka explained. “I can’t tell what it is, but she seems almost...inhuman. Like, she’s hollow” 

Anakin thought carefully about Ahsoka’s concerns as they took the lift up to the bridge.

“Well, I guess we’ll have to start doing some research, won’t we? There’s plenty of articles about her due to popularity, and the troops must know something from reading about her and interacting with her during their chip removal. We can also talk to Padmé on our way back, she’s a bit closer to the chancellor and the princess than I am”

Ahsoka smiled gratefully at her master, who acknowledged her thoughts and listened to her concerns. “I’ll get on it once we get back, Master.” 

Anakin smiled back to Ahsoka as they arrived at the communications room, where the council stood through hologram, concern and low levels of anxiety filling the air. The Jedi general and commander’s expressions turned serious.

“Anakin, Ahsoka. Finally, you’re here. The council has some...urgent news” He sighed, rubbing his hand over his face, trying to hide the distress now creeping its way into his system.

“What’s wrong?” Anakin asked, slightly confused at the now tense air. Ahsoka looked to the council; all the members were present.

“General Skywalker. Commander Tano” Mace Windu addressed them. “Incidents have started to pop up over the past three days you’ve been present. We need you back here as soon as possible so we can start coordinating forces to deal with these violent uprisings.”

He sighed, and Kit Fisto spoke up. “There’s a chain reaction of events happening. We’re afraid that Princess Dan-I is now being targeted.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the first nice dose of Rexsoka ;) The pace of the story may seem a bit slow and descriptive, but I hope you guys don't mind! I'm trying to progress it at a more realistic pace with some build-up, y'know :)
> 
> Hope you enjoyedddd :D
> 
> Stay tuned and keep writing! -Ella


	7. The Kingdom Within The Kingdom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody and Kix are introduced to their new environment-and new teammates.

Dan watched as Ahsoka and Rex disappeared from view, fingers entwined. She then turned to her two guards.

“Before we do anything, let’s go to the barracks. All the high-ranked royal guards stay there.” The two nodded to her, and she led them to the second floor. She then picked a door that looked the same as all the others in Kix’s opinion, but she opened them to reveal a white room, with tall ceilings and stone details like the rest of the castle. There was a large communal kitchen and sitting area right at the entrance, which gave away to several rooms down a small hallway. At the end was a set of double doors that opened up to what looked like a large bathroom.

Although Kix was used to barracks, he wasn’t quite accustomed to one with such intricate and detailed finishes. From what he saw, the kitchen was made of high tech sorting systems, the counters made of precious stone.

The sitting area also had chairs and sofas made of soft-looking fabric, making Kix wonder if they were in the right place.

Suddenly, Dan pressed a button on the wall, activating lights above each of the doorways. Suddenly, several guards all wearing traditional Chang-Hanian guard wear or training clothing flooded out of the rooms, forming lines and deeply bowing to the ground together at Dan. Cody and Kix looked slightly confused, but Dan gave them a look that kept them rooted behind her.

“Your Highness, how may we be of service? Are you feeling well?” A soldier asked, standing up and approaching Dan. 

He wore light grey robes with loose dark grey pants that resembled the skirts worn by female soldiers. His hair was long and jet black pulled into a ponytail. He had stormy grey eyes and pale skin, a scar cutting across his eye and brow on the right side of his face. He had the white royal guard pendant hanging from his light grey belt, several gemstones embedded in rows on it to symbolize his high rank.

“General Kagamere, I am well, as I hope all of you are as well,” Dan replied politely. “I’d like to introduce you to my two new personal guards from the Grand Army of the Republic. Commander Cody of the 212th Battalion, and Private and Medic Kix of the 501st Battalion. Let them use room 202 when they are off shift.” 

He bowed to Dan. “Very well, Your Highness. Her Majesty the Queen informed us of these arrangements, and I as well as Commander Qin will be your guards switching with the Republic guards.” 

“Understood. You may all continue your duties.” She waved the troops off, as they went back to their rooms. The general remained. 

“Hello, soldiers. I am General Kagamere of Qilai. I am the head of the royal barracks here.” He said, holding out his hand to Cody and Kix. 

They both shook his hand, Cody speaking up.  
“Honour to meet you, sir. I am Commander Cody of the GAR, and this is private Kix.”

“The honour’s all mine, Commander.”

The group then turned to Dan, who was now wandering towards the hall, looking for room 202. Kix watched her find it and run her hand against the door. She discreetly ran her wrist against the scanner, opening the door. 

She cleared her throat. “Here are your quarters, Cody and Kix. General Kagamere is to the left. You’ll need pendants to be able to access places in the castle, though.” she turned to the general. “Can you get the lab technicians to code two pendants for these two?”

“Right away, Your Highness” He bowed and swiftly left.

“You two can look around if you’d like,” Dan said, her face showing no signs of particular interest. “The bathrooms are at the end of the hall past those double doors. Feel free to use the stuff around here. If you need help, the guard will gladly assist, and when you get the pendants you will be able to access rooms in the castle that allow people of your rank” 

She clasped her hands behind her back, rubbing her wrist that Kix had seen her scan. He was about to ask when Dan coincidentally gave him a questioning look as if she was wondering if there was something wrong. He quickly brushed away his questions and turned to look around.

“Once you’re ready, we’ll go to my quarters so I can change into less noticeable clothing,” she said, clearly bothered by her medical gown.

Kix quickly resumed a waiting position.  
“Ready when you are, Your Highness’ he said, wincing slightly at the formality.

“As am I, Your Highness,” Cody said, also standing like Kix.

“Very well. Let’s go, the general will bring the pendants up”. With that, Dan turned on her heel, almost losing her balance, and walked with caution towards the third-floor stairs.

They reached her quarters after climbing the stairs and walking along a large hallway. They had reached the fourth floor, which had a much more toned-down design, that felt more relaxing than extravagant. Kix found the setting more comforting than the rest of the castle and was happy that he would be spending most of his time on this floor.

The castle itself had five floors: the first floor had formal rooms, such as the military office, formal living and dining rooms, as well as other rooms such as the kitchens, and armoury.

The second floor was filled with guest bedrooms and large balconies that overlooked the rooms below. The royal barracks were also on the second level, so that guards and special forces could be present if any danger were to come upon the guests.

The third floor was the middle level between the public and private spaces; it was semi-private and had several facilities. An indoor pool, garden, and a few studios. It also had a private office right by the stairwell, belonging to the princess.

The office’s location on the third floor was well planned, as the fourth floor where the group stood was the private floor of the princess. The fourth and fifth floors were both slightly smaller than the floors below but still were huge. The floor was semi-open, wood-slat walls dividing up the main space. A pond-like pool with a few chairs and plants was off to one side, and a formal sitting and dining area on the other.

At the far end of the space was a hallway, which had doors to the library, a large room that was connected to one of the towers, with floor to ceiling bookshelves. The other door led to the observatory, a room set up with equipment for studies of the galaxy, as well as a workspace for the princess to tinker or try to solve complicated cybernetic systems.

The end of the hallway had double doors leading to the princess’s chambers.

As Dan led them through the large space, Kix looked around with awe. He wasn’t used to fancy castles or houses, and he’d never actually been inside one. He saw Cody was also trying to contain his awe at the space.  
They arrived at Dan’s chambers, and she again discreetly brushed her wrist against the scanner, which Kix caught in the corner of his eye. His thoughts were soon interrupted as they entered the princess’s room.

It was large and divided up into two main sections. First was the sitting area, with dark grey furniture that stood out from the pale walls. Bookshelves also lined the wall with the doors to her sleeping area. To the side was a set of open double doors to her large bathroom.

She continued to lead them to her sleeping area, which had a large balcony overlooking the expansive city and river below. Her bed was made of dark grey material as well, her bedding a cream colour. There were a couple more bookshelves, as well as a desk that had screens and datapads littering it.

A mat was positioned by the window, which was positioned so that the setting sun could be seen perfectly. The last point of interest in the room was the set of double doors to a large closet filled neatly with clothing.

Dan motioned for the two troops to sit on the elegant yet simplistic bench at the end of her bed that matched the entire theme of her chambers.

“I’ll be right back. If someone knocks, you can check who it is by the screen at the doors or just open it. It’ll most likely be General Kagamere.” the two clones nodded, Dan then going into the closet, shutting the doors gently.

Kix still marvelled at the room. He wondered about the number of credits it probably cost to purchase even just one of the things in the room. His eyes soon rested on a small framed photo that sat on one of the many shelves. Cody noticed his staring.

“This place sure is nice. Not quite what we’re used to” he commented.

“Definitely. It’ll be a while before I even am able to find this place on this floor, nevermind in the castle.” Kix said, amused. Suddenly, just as Dan had mentioned, there was a knock at the door. 

Cody stood. “I’ll answer it,” he told Kix, who had also stood up. He then walked through the princess’s long room to the doors leading out to the hallway.

Kix watched as Cody opened the door, and surprise filled them both as the person standing there spoke.  
“Hello. I am Commander Jhae Qin. I got your pendants from the general.” The guy walked into the chambers and handed the two white stone pendants lined with different amounts of gemstones to the clones. He had slightly long dark blue hair that fell loosely in front of his eyes, He wore the same clothes as the general. 

“I knocked just to make sure that you were in here,” he said. “Commander Cody, right? And Private Kix?” he asked, as Kix approached the two by the doorway. They both nodded with respect.

“Right, I hope we can drop the formalities a bit, since we will definitely be around each other more, and the princess doesn’t like them much.” Jhae walked by the pair and went to sit on one of the window benches. “Oh yeah, where is the princess? I have the Republic on the line waiting to talk with her and both of you” he said, perking up.

“I’m here, Jhae. What does the Republic need?” asked Dan, coming out of her sleeping chambers, wearing dark blue robes and a crystal comb to pin her hair, surprising the two clones and making the royal guard smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is pretty long because I'm not good at dividing up stories haha. Sorry I can't post every day, I'm aiming 1-2 a week, hopefully if my school schedule allows ! But thanks for the support, it means a lot :)
> 
> Stay tuned and keep writing! -Ella


End file.
